Research, Scholarship and Creative Achievement at UTSA

Contents

Mathematics and the Bilingual Brain

When bilingual children recite multiplication
tables in their heads, what language are they
using? What language do bilingual adults use
when they are balancing their checkbooks or
calculating their income taxes?

UTSA Builds Military Connections

UTSA is improving the tools and readiness of the nation’s military might through research,
education and leadership training, and by
addressing the special needs of soldiers and
their families.

Training Our Nation’s Next Generation of Scientists

Developing students into scientists has been
the life’s work of Andrew Tsin, Director, Center
for Research and Training in the Sciences

A Modern-Day Gold Rush

The Eagle Ford Shale is rapidly
transforming the quality of life in oncedeclining
rural communities in South
Texas and brings the promise of a
better education and better quality of
life for thousands of South Texans.

DoD Funds Infection Genomics Research Center

The DoD award funds the creation of a Center
of Excellence in Infection Genomics, which
supports four areas of research to understand
and develop treatments for infectious diseases,
as well as an educational component meant to
increase the number of students interested in
working towards cures for infectious diseases.

Discovering History along the River

Humans have lived along the San Antonio
River for more than 10,000 years and are
still using it today as a recreational area

“Tramps Abroad”: Jeanne Reesman on Mark Twain and Jack London

Offering some lesser-known and fascinating
information on two important
but controversial American writers, the
article expounds on their differences and
their similarities and discusses methods
of humanities research as well.

First edition

Letters

Welcome to the fifth edition of UTSA Discovery. Researchers at UTSA
continue to seek new insights into and solutions for complex questions and
problems in energy, health, security, sustainability, and human and social
development. Many of the research programs address two or more of these
areas, and most require multidisciplinary collaborations. In this volume,
we present seven feature articles on researchers who are contributing to
improving the quality of our lives now and in the future.

Our cover story (“UTSA Builds Military Connections”) focuses on the
many UTSA collaborations with the military and other San Antonio
institutions to work on projects in medicine, engineering and cyber security.

In “Mathematics and the Bilingual Brain,” studies of the brains of
bilingual people contradict previous views that people access math concepts
more efficiently in the language in which they were learned.

The various programs at UTSA designed to train students for graduate
school and develop faculty and support research in the biomedical sciences
are detailed in “Training Our Nation’s Next Generation of Scientists.”

UTSA has produced important studies on the impact of hydraulic
fracturing on the economy, community and environment of South Texas
which inform policy makers and stakeholders. “A Modern-Day Gold Rush”
presents the challenges and opportunities of the Eagle Ford Shale.

“DoD Funds Infection Genomics Research Center” discusses the
multidisciplinary, integrated program that facilitates research in
microbial pathogenesis and uses genomics to find solutions the
Department of Defense can use.

The thrill of the early history of the San Antonio area being dug up
today by UTSA’s Center for Archaeological Research is described
in “Discovering History along the River.” The discoveries greatly
expand CAR’s understanding of how native cultures evolved under
Spanish influence.

“’Tramps Abroad’” compares and contrasts iconic American authors
Mark Twain and Jack London and offers information not generally
known about them.

In addition to these feature articles, the Abstracts give you an overview
of the breadth of programs from basic to applied and translational
research. The Commercialization Corner describes innovative work
which may be the next biggest stent-related innovation to be generated
in San Antonio since the invention of the Palmaz stent itself. Our
research expenditures at UTSA continue to expand at double-digit
rates as we move toward becoming a Tier One Research University.

We hope that you will enjoy this volume of UTSA Discovery.
For additional information, please visit the UTSA Research
Website at http://research.utsa.edu

UTSADiscovery is published annually for the Office of the Vice President for Research by the Office of Research Communication and Advancement. The magazine serves to highlight research, scholarship and creative achievement of faculty, staff, students and alumni of The University of Texas at San Antonio. UTSA Discovery is a member of the University Research Magazine Association.